This invention relates to an optical junction device having orderly arranged cores disposed symmetrically with respect to a central axis and a method of making such an optical junction device, and it is primarily concerned with the dividing and/or combining of light propagating in optical fibers for effecting a distribution of light between a number of discrete paths or collection of light from multiple paths into a single path.
Optical fiber junction devices include a plurality of optical fiber cores surrounded by cladding layers. For equalized distribution of optical energy among the cores without relying on mode changes, it is necessary that the cores be shaped radially sectorial in cross section and separated by the cladding layers.
Various methods have heretofore been proposed to fabricate such optical fiber junction devices. However, it has been difficult to keep a plurality of optical fiber cores orderly arranged during thermal fusion process and hence to make an optical fiber junction device having neatly shaped cores of a sectorial cross section.